Hate Him, Love Him
by Katsumi Amaya
Summary: I didn’t need him. He didn’t need me. We were just two people, caught up in a complicated Fighter-Sacrifice situation. Nothing more. ‘You love him.’ My traitorous mind whispered to me. I wanted to growl. I had given up arguing. I knew it was true.
1. Chapter 1

It hurt, to know that Soubi would never be mine. He would always be Beloved, always belong to Seimei. Never Loveless. Never me.

I had talked to him about it, although it's so difficult to get a straight answer out of him. Of the broken conversations we've had, I've learned that he was born a blank Fighter, but once inscribed with a name he was forever that name's Fighter. Even if he had a new Sacrifice? I asked. He said yes, until the day he died.

I sighed. School was boring, as usual. I had already learned the current lesson at my old school, so I didn't bother paying attention. Finally the bell rang, and I packed up my stuff and walked slowly out of the school. The students around me talked and laughed, and I let them pass me by without a thought. What were they to me, the "weird kid", whom everyone knew was abused and refused to say a thing about it.

Past the school gates, I saw the familiar blond leaning against the outer wall, a cigarette in his mouth. "I wish you wouldn't smoke." I muttered as I leaned against the wall next to him.

"Is that an order?" He asked, not looked down at me.

I said nothing, knowing he was addicted no matter what I ordered. I shrugged away from the wall, walking towards home. Soubi followed without a word.

We passed others on the street silently. Many people stared. What would you think, seeing a surly teenager followed by a softly smiling 20-year-old man? I ignored them, merely keeping my eyes straight ahead, wanting to be home and in my soft bed, the door locked…

'And Soubi beside me.' My traitorous mind whispered to me. I internally shook me head. I couldn't, wouldn't think like that. I didn't need him. He didn't need me. We were just two people, caught up in a complicated Fighter-Sacrifice situation. Nothing more.

'You love him.' That voice whispered. I wanted to growl. I had given up arguing. I knew it was true, and there was nothing I could do about it. It was so depressing, upsetting, to love someone when they only loved you back through orders, no true feelings behind those words…

We had reached my doorstep. I stood there, staring at the space between our feet. "I love you, Ritsuka."

I wanted to scream. His voice was so dull, emotionless. I felt his hand caress my cheek., lifting up my face. His lips met mine and held them there. But there was no feeling behind it. I felt tears behind my closed eyes, but didn't let them escape.

He pulled away, and when I opened my eyes again he was walking away, to be seen tomorrow or next week, I didn't know.

I sighed again and turned the knob to open the front door. Mom was sitting in the living room, watching TV. She turned when I opened the door, but just glared at me. I looked down and rushed upstairs to my room, locking the door behind me.

Dropping my backpack to the floor, I collapsed on my bed. Curling up into a ball, I hugged my knees and shivered. I shut my eyes tight, and fell into a fitful sleep.

_Dreams floated in and out of my line of sight. I saw Seimi, Youiko, Kio, mom, and Soubi in different moments of time. I tossed and turned in my sleep, not wanting to stay in this state, yet not wanting to wake up and face reality. _

_Soubi's face appeared before me. "I love you." He whispered. His eyes were soft, and I felt that he meant every word. I smiled. _

I awoke in a start. I sat up quickly, my thoughts running wild. Then I growled and pulled my knees to my chest, hugging them close. "You don't need him, you don't want him, you don't love him. You don't need him, you don't want him, you don't love him, you don't…"

I stopped as tears came to my eyes again. I sobbed into my knees, not caring if that meant I would have to change clothes.

The tears eventually came to a stand-still, after at least half an hour. Just as I wiped my face dry, I heard a tap on my balcony doors. I knew who it was.

Jumping up, I flung the doors open and ran into his waiting arms. I didn't care if he didn't love me back. I didn't care if he lied, or if he wished I was Seimei and not me. Please, God, just let me pretend that he loves me, and that he was Loveless, and that he really wanted me to be me. Just for a few seconds…

Soubi lifted me up into his arms, walking a few paces to set me down, then lie down himself. He tucked my hair behind my ears, whispering, "I love you, Ritsuka."

I turned away from him, facing the opposite wall. "No, you don't. You're just following Seimei's orders. You don't know what love is." I whispered angrily.

"This coming from the boy named Loveless." Soubi said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

I didn't care. I rolled out of the bed and jumped up. "Get out!" I screamed, pointing towards the balcony doors. "I never want to see you again! Leave me alone!"

"Is that an order?" He asked softly.

I glared at him, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes. "Of course it's a Goddamn order! Get out, Teme!" I shouted, turning away and falling to my knees. I hated him, I hated him, I hated him!

I heard the balcony doors click shut. I was on my hands and knees, glaring at the floor.

I hated him, I hated him, I hated him!

I loved him.


	2. For fairygirlca and iffulovedme

I sighed as I stepped out into the chilly night air. I closed the glass doors that led to Ritsuka's room. I pulled my coat tighter around me. I knew I shouldn't be leaving the poor boy alone, but I didn't know what else to do. He had given me an order.

I closed my eyes and leaned against the railing or Ritsuka's balcony. 'What would Seimei tell me to do?' I thought. Well, first he'd kick my ass for leaving Ritsuka alone, then he'd command me to go back in there and make sure he felt better. No doubt about it.

I quietly stepped forward. The doors opened with a soft click. Stepping through the curtains, I looked around. Ritsuka was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, I cautiously stepped into the hallway. I had no idea where Ritsuka's mother was, and from what Ritsuka told me about her, I didn't want her to find me.

Then I heard a crash from downstairs, then a shout. I knew instantly it was Ritsuka.

"Mom, stop, no!" he yelled.

Then his mother, "Don't you ever call me that, you little punk! You're no son of mine!" I heard a strange sound that I can't describe, but then Ritsuka screamed, and I knew I had to do something.

'Think, Soubi,' I told myself. 'Ritsuka said to never show myself to his mother, but Seimei said to always protect him. Shit! I don't want to choose!' I clutched my head. Rituska needed my help, but I didn't want to disobey him…what should I do?

Ritsuka screamed again, and I dug my fingernails tighter into my skull. Couldn't disobey…orders…I had been told, constantly, as a child, that orders were everything. I lived to obey orders. I couldn't disobey him. Unless….

"Soubi…" My head snapped up. It was Ritsuka!

"Help me…" He sobbed. "Soubi, help."

I stood, not realizing that I had squatted down. It was an order. Ritsuka had found the loophole. If one order was to override another, go with the most current. That was the rule.

I grabbed the banister to the railing and cleanly vaulted over. When I landed, I found myself facing a very angry woman, clutching a dangerously pale Ritsuka. I instantly saw why.

"You…" I whispered. A kitchen knife, at least four inches, protruded from Ritsuka's shoulder.

I glared at this so called mother.

I stepped forward, and said very quietly but forcefully. "Let go of Ritsuka."

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice shaking but her murderous eyes steady.

I glanced at Ritsuka. He only had a few minutes before the blood loss would kill him. His lips and fingertips were starting to turn blue.

I held up my hands, showing there was nothing in them. Then, I quickly bounded forward and (roughly, I'm sorry Ritsuka) grabbed the boy from the woman's arms. Before she could react, I wrapped my arms around Ritsuka and lifted him up, bounding up the stairs.

I slammed Ritsuka's door behind me and locked it. I gently laid the boy on his bed and tried to asses the situation.

Ritsuka was hurt. He needed serious medical treatment, but I couldn't take Ritsuka to the hospital, because then he'd have to explain the boy's abusive mother, and how I knew him.

My thought process was interrupted as Ritsuka gasped and reached up and latched onto my arm. "Soubi…" He said in a breathy voice.

I fell to my knees next to the bed, coming eye-to-eye with the boy. "Yes, Ritsuka." I said gravely.

"You have to take me to the hospital."


	3. For coffeehousegirl

Soubi shook his head. "No, Ritsuka, I can't!" He cried.

"Why not?" Ritsuka growled. He was loosing blood fast. If he didn't get real help soon…

The older man laid his head on the side of Ritsuka's bed and forced back the tears that were forming in his eyes. "They'll take you away when they find out. They'll make you live with foster parents, and I'll never see you again." Soubi whispered.

Ritsuka was quiet besides his ragged breathing, but then he said, "Soubi, do you know any Fighters that are in the law field of work?"

Soubi's head snapped up. "Y-yes. I went to school with a boy who later became a judge. Why?"

Ritsuka smiled. "And what if we got that Judge to decide which adult got to take care of me. Instead of putting me in a home with people I don't know, he can let me live with you…_my_ Fighter." The boy whispered.

The blond nodded sharply and lifted Ritsuka up, gently this time. He hadn't gone two steps when there was a scream from behind Ritsuka's door. "I don't know who you are, but you don't touch what's mine! That little imposter is mine to hut, you got that?" Ritsuka's mother screamed.

Soubi didn't even blink as he opened up the balcony doors and leaped down onto the grassy lawn, landing cleanly on his feet before taking off into the quickly darkening day.

-Loveless-

It had taken too long to get back to Soubi's house. They had to take many detours and back alleys to make sure no one saw them, and Ritsuka's breath was become dangerously shallow, his heart starting to slow down.

Soubi laid him gently on his couch before pulling out his cell phone. Quickly dialing 911, he held the phone to his ear, his heart beating fast.

"911, what is your emergency?" A smooth feminine voice asked over the phone.

Soubi took in a deep breath. "Yes, my friend was stabbed. He's back at my house, and I need an ambulance right away."

"Okay, please give me your address and an ambulance will be there shortly." After giving with woman his information, she asked, "Do you have any idea who did this to your friend?"

Soubi squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes. It was his mother. He's been a victim of Child Abuse for at least five years."

There was silence on the other end as the woman took that in. "Do you know her current location, she needs to be arrested immediately." She said.

I gave her Ritsuka's address. He could hear sirens in the distance. "The ambulance is almost here, I need to go." Soubi said, once again holding back tears.

"Okay." The woman said. "Be safe."

Soubi nodded and flipped his phone shut, letting it fall to the floor as he turned back to Ritsuka.

"The ambulance is here, love." Soubi whispered, gazing down at his Sacrifice.

Ritsuka could only nod, his eyes barely open. "Soubi." He whispered suddenly.

Soubi leaned closer, trying his hardest not to let his tears show. "Yes, Ritsuka." He whispered.

"I know…that I'm mean to you." Ritsuka paused to breath. "But I just want you to know…that no matter what…I love you."

The door burst open, and paramedics swarmed into the house. Ritsuka was quickly lifted onto a stretcher and carried away.

A hand landed on Soubi's shoulder. "Are you the one that called 911?" A voice asked. Soubi shook his head without looking up.

"You did the right thing. C'mon, you need to come with us." He said.

Soubi stood, his head still down and walked outside. The ambulance had its lights on, its siren blaring. People had come out of their homes to stare and murmur, but Soubi ignored them as he climbed into the back of the ambulance with Ritsuka. He sat down and grasped the boy's hand as he had an oxygen tube inserted into this throat, but the knife they left in. If they took it out now, he'd loose the little blood he had left.

Soubi couldn't hold the tears in any longer. He crossed his arms on the bed where Ritsuka lay and cried into them. The paramedics tried to comfort him, patting him on the back and reassuring him that Ritsuka would be okay, but the problem was…

That Ritsuka really could die.

A/N: DAMN IT! Writes block LOVES me too much! Why won't it leave me alone! –sobs- But anyway, I have a general idea where I want this story to go, even though I originally thought this was going to stay a oneshot. Oh, well! If I get another request, I'll continue, but you must REVIEW! –evil laugh-


	4. I Lose Track: For Everybody

Soubi paced.

He didn't know what else to do. He was too nervous to sit still, so he paced in the waiting room. Minutes turned into hours as Ritsuka was rushed into surgery to safely get the knife out of his shoulder. His mother was in custody. It felt like his world was falling apart.

And all he could do was pace.

He was so used to having some one take care of everything. Seimei always had everything under his control. Nothing ever happened he hadn't planned for.

But this happening to Ritsuka…Soubi never could have imagined. The man knew Ritsuka's mother was off the deep end, but never…never like this.

Soubi's head shot up as a doctor entered the hallway. He spotted Soubi and walked towards him. "Before I tell you anything, I need to know what relationship you have with Aoyagi-San." The man said. He stood a few inches shorter than Soubi.

"I'm his lover." Soubi said bluntly. "Now it Ritsuka going to live or not?"

The other man blinked in shock, but tried to hide it. "He's going to be fine. How old are you, sir?"

Soubi hated this. "My name is Agatsuma Soubi, and I'm twenty. Can I see Ritsuka?" He asked.

"N-no, I'm sorry. He needs a few days to recover from the surgery and blood loss. He'll need a transfusion soon."

Soubi tried to be patient. "Sir, listen to me. I need to see Ritsuka. Now." Soubi said, towering over the man. He looked frightened.

"O-kay, but only for a moment." He said and led Soubi down the hallway. The Fighter followed anxiously.

The door opened, and there was Ritsuka, an IV in his arm and an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

Soubi sat down in a chair beside the hospital bed and leaned closer. "Ritsuka? Ritsuka, can you hear me?" He asked gently. After a moment, the young boy opened his eyes.

"Soubi?" He asked, eyes hooded. Said man smiled with relief and grabbed Ritsuka's hand. "I'm here." He assured.

Ritsuka smiled one of those smiles that went up to his eyes, and made Soubi's heart flutter. "Good." He whispered, squeezing Soubi's hand.

"I have something I want you to do, okay?" Ritsuka said, eyes on the ceiling. Soubi nodded. "Anything." He said.

Ritsuka breathed in, then out. "First, I don't want you to stay here." Ritsuka said, and Soubi started to protest, but Ritsuka didn't let him. "That's an order, Soubi. I know you'll worry about me, but I need to rest."

The doctor that was taking care of Ritsuka stood in the corner, watching with what seemed like a mixture of shock and wonder.

"Second," Ritsuka continued. "I want you to get a hold of that judge, and maybe a good lawyer. I want to make sure they don't send me away from you."

"But what about your father?" Soubi asked, and Ritsuka gave a short laugh that ended in a cough. "He doesn't care about me. I'd be surprised if he 's even noticed that me and mom are gone."

Soubi looked at him sadly, but nodded. He removed Ritsuka's oxygen mask and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Ritsuka smiled so wide. "Thank you, Soubi." He said, then his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

Soubi stood and asked the (still bewildered) doctor which way the exit was. The man pointed him in the right direction and Soubi walked home.

When he entered the front door he was greeted with a hug from Kio. "Sou-Chan, how are you?" The man asked, but his smile disappeared when he saw the sad and tired look on Soubi's face.

"Ritsuka's in the hospital. His mom's in custody. I need a beer, and a long, long nap." Soubi said, heading towards his bedroom.

Kio nodded and went to the kitchen to grab Soubi a beer. He walked into the bedroom and found Soubi, still fully clothed; lying on the bed with is eyes closed.

"Thanks." He muttered when Kio handed him the can of alcohol. He sat up and chugged it, tossing the now empty can over the side of the bed. "I'll be asleep for at least 15 hours. Please, keep things quiet, okay?" Soubi asked, and Kio nodded.

Kio left for his own home a few minutes later, and Soubi stayed on his bed. He drifted in and out of sleep, most of his dreams about Ritsuka.

The man awoke a few hours later. It was pitch black outside, and he didn't know what time it was.

He stumbled from his bed to the bathroom, then back again a few minutes later. He dared to look at the clock. Three fifty-four.

Soubi found his way to the back porch and lit up. He cold night air whipped his hair around his head, but he didn't care.

If it had been any other day, he'd probably go wake up Ritsuka. The boy would complain about the time and call Soubi crazy for being awake at this hour, but soon the two would be snuggled together under Ritsuka's blanket, and the young boy would be asleep in Soubi's arms.

Soubi smiled at the thought, and ground his cigarette out. "Those times will come back." Soubi whispered to himself as he got back into bed. "It'll take a while, and they'll be some struggles, but things will be normal again."

He drifted back off to sleep with those thoughts running through his head.


	5. Am I Forgiven? For Everybody!

Soubi checked his watch impatiently as people filed into the court house, whispering quietly. The man was quickly getting agitated of how much time he spent, no, wasted waiting for news.

Finally, the last person filed in and the doors were shut. A male judge swept into the room through a side door and everyone rose to their feet. The Judge sat, and so did the audience.

Soubi stood before the high table, peering up at the man. "Your Honor, My name is Agatsuma Soubi, and I demand that I get custody of Aoyagi Ritsuka." He said, standing tall.

The man Soubi knew well sat above him, looking down at him. "And where is Aoyagi?" He asked. Soubi shifted his eyes to the ground.

"He's…in the hospital right now." He said, and the audience gave a collective gasp.

The Judge's eyebrows furrowed together. He pounded the gavel to silence the murmurs coming from behind Soubi. He leaned forward and looked down at the blond man. "And why is Aoyagi-Kun in the hospital?" He asked quietly.

Soubi sighed and slumped his shoulders. "His mother stabbed him." He said.

The result was immediate. The whole court exploded in angry shouts and demands for justice. The Judge had to pound his gavel for a good minute to finally silence the crowd. "That's enough!" He said loudly.

Once there was silence again, the Judge leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Where is Aoyagi-Kun's father?" He asked. Soubi shrugged.

"Ritsuka's father has a…problem with alchohol. He is rarely around to care for him." The blond man said. The judge nodded and opened a file, looking through it until he found the paper he needed.

He handed the paper to Soubi. On it was a picture of Seimei. "And Aoyagi-Kun's brother, Aoyagi Seimei?" He asked.

Soubi looked up at the judge and said quietly, "Septimal Moon."

The man above Soubi gasped, eyes going wide. "You mean he…" and Soubi nodded.

There were questioning looks going around the audience, who had no idea what Septimal Moon was. But they quickly quieted when the Judge asked the next question.

"What is your relationship to Aoyagi-Kun?" He asked, and Soubi hesitated. What he said next could very well decide this case.

"I'm Ritsuka's Fighter Unit and…lover." He said, bracing himself for the anger

coming from the audience behind him.

The Judge pounded the gavel again. The crowed fell silent. "Agatsuma, you do realize that is illegal." He said gravely.

Soubi nodded. "Yes, Your Honor."

"And you do realize you could go to jail."

"Yes, Your Honor."

There was dead silence for a few seconds.

"What are Ritsuka's feelings for you?" He asked, and Soubi's knees almost buckled. He knew what he said next would go against him.

Soubi squeezed his eyes shut, head down. "He doesn't like me to tell him I love him because he doesn't think I truly do. I try to show affection, and he turns it down. But there are time, just moments, when I try my hardest, and he smiles and I know…he feels the same." He said, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

The Judge sat back again, taking his glasses and cleaning them on his shirt. "I'm going to need proof. Can we get Aoyagi-Kun on the phone?" He asked, and it was confirmed. Soon he held a cellphone on speaker in his hand.

"Aoyagi-Kun, can you hear me okay?" He asked, and Ritsuka's voice came through clearly.

"Yes, Your Honor." His voice was a little shaky, but he sounded okay.

The Judge nodded. "I'm sorry to disturb you when your healing from your wound, but you need to testify." He said, and Ritsuka said it was fine. The phone was handed to Soubi, and he took it.

"Ritsuka, it's Soubi." He said, and the blond man could hear Ritsuka's smile through his voice.

The boy laughed, a sound that Soubi loved more than anything else. "Soubi, I'm so happy! How are you doing? I really like it here. They won't let my mom in, and the nurses are really nice." He said happily, and Soubi smiled.

"That's great Ritsuka, but I need to ask you some questions, and you have to answer them as honestly as you can, okay?" He asked. Ritsuka agreed.

The Judge told him what to ask, and Ritsuka answered them. It started with simple questions, like, "Do you have any friends? What are they like?" to harder ones, like, "What has your mother done to you in the past? Does your father help?"

Then came the questions about Soubi.

"Does you treat you with respect?" The Judge asked, and Ritsuka said,

"Yes, he does. He's always kind to me, he would never do anything to…" Ritsuka stopped.

The Judge leaned forward. "What is it, Aoyagi-Kun?" He asked. Ritsuka's voice was shaky again.

Ritsuka took a deep breath. He sounded close to tears. "I…doubt that Soubi really cares about me sometimes. I mean, he's always kind to me, he'll buy me whatever I want, things like that, but…he hurts me. Not physically, like mom." He said quickly. "But…he'll say he loves me, then he'll do something…just something…that makes my heart hurt. It hurts so much, because…I love him, and he…doesn't love me."

It was obvious that Ritsuka was crying now, and Soubi had to fight to keep his own tears back. He took the phone and started to speak. "Ritsuka, I'm sorry. I know I hurt you, and it hurts me, too. Seimei caused all of this, and if there was anything I could do to stop him, you know I would but…" He stopped.

The whole court room was abuzz with activity, and the Judge did nothing to quiet them. Instead, he looked at Soubi. "Agatsuma-San, it's very clear that you and Ritsuka have…" He paused. "relationship problems, but…"

The court room went silent.

"Since the only other alternative would be foster care…I'll give you custody until his mother recovers." The Judge said.

Soubi almost dropped the phone. Ritsuka, on the other line, was silent.

"But!" The other man said. "If there is one incident…one complaint from Ritsuka…you're done for, understand?" He asked, looking Soubi straight in the eyes.

The blond man nodded. He said into the phone, "Ritsuka, did you hear that? You'll be staying with me!" He said.

But Ritsuka's voice was urgent. "Soubi, you need to get out of there! My mom say's she's going to…" The boy's voice was cut off as the line went dead, and the court room doors banged open.

A female voice screamed, "He's mine to punish! You can't have him!" And she launched herself at Soubi.


	6. OMG UPDATE!

Soubi gasped and ducked and rolled, clearing the clumsy attack. The woman screamed again and spun around, reaching out to claw at his face. Soubi could feel the sharp nails rake across his cheek, breaking the skin.

He stumbled back from Ritsuka's mother. In seconds, officers spilled out from a side door and restrained the crazed woman. Breathing hard, Soubi gingerly touched his cheek and winced. When he looked at his fingers, they were red with blood.

The whole courtroom was absolute chaos. The people that were sitting were up and shouting, the Judge grabbed his gavel and pounded it onto the table. "Silence!" He yelled, and the whole room fell silent.

The Judge turned to the restrained woman. "Who are you?" He asked, slightly breathless.

Ritsuka's mother only growled, her eyes on Soubi. She suddenly screamed, "He's mine! I can do what I want with him! You can't have him!" She started to struggle again, but the cops only held tighter. Her voice echoed around the silent room.

The Judge turned to Soubi. "Is this Ritsuka's mother?" He asked sharply. Slowly, Soubi nodded. His eyes widened, and he turned back to Ritsuka's mother. "Ma'am, you're supposed to be in custody right now, how did you get out?"

The woman's hand rolled into fists. "They couldn't hold me down." She tried to yank her arm out of the cop's grip, to no avail. "I ran when I found out where he was." She gestured to Soubi. "He can't have that boy. He's mine. MINE!" She screamed the last word, then suddenly slumped over. Fainted.

The room was dead silent for a full minute. Then suddenly, Soubi's phone rang, and everyone jumped.

The blond quickly flipped it open, already knowing who it was. "Ritsuka, I'm fine, don't worry."

Soubi could tell by the sound of the boy's voice that he had been crying hard. "T...that's good," He answered, voice shaky. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, of course not." Soubi answered ignoring the sharp stinging on his cheek. "I'm a trained fighter, you know that."

There was a shaky sigh of relief. Then, "Is it true then? I get to stay with you?"

A single tear of happiness ran down Soubi's cheek. "Yes." He whispered, and suddenly whished he could wrap his arms around his young sacrifice.

"Will you come and see me?"

Soubi was already on his way.


	7. YOU DID NOT SEE THIS COMING

Ritsuka flipped his phone shut, then stopped and stared at it. 'Soubi gave me this phone.' He thought. The boy smiled and gently set the phone on his bedside table. 'Soubi's coming to see me.' He thought. As he drifted to sleep, that one name was repeating in his mind. 'Soubi...Soubi...Soubi...'

--A Few Days Later--

"Are you sure you can carry that?" Soubi asked for the millionth time. "I could get it for you if you can't."

Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "No, Soubi! I got it!" He assured. He half-carried, half dragged a large suitcase he had borrowed for the blond walking in front of him, and it carried most of his clothes and possessions.

Soubi chuckled and shook his head. They stopped in front of the front door, and the blond quickly fished his key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. "Welcome home, Ritsuka." He said quietly, and the black-haired boy smiled.

--Loveless--

Within a week Ritsuka was settled and was going back to school. After assuring his classmates that he had only been out with the flu (long sleeve shirts hid the scar perfectly) the Fighter and Sacrifice had resumed to their pretty much normal lives.

That is, until the new transfer student showed up.

"Hi! I'm Gansaku Nezumi. Don't bother with the suffixes, just call me Nezumi." He told the class before taking his seat between Ritsuka and Yuiko.

A few minutes into class, a note landed on the corner of Ritsuka's desk. The black-haired boy had half a mind to turn it into the teacher, but decided against it. Quickly he grabbed in and slipped it into his lap. With a quick motion it was unfolded before him. It read:

_Loveless? What a sad name. Anyway, I'm your new Fighter Unit._

Ritsuka stared. The note wasn't signed, but there was no doubt that it was from Nezumi. The black-haired boy quickly glanced at Nezumi, who nodded to the note and gave him a thumbs up.

Whatever happened for the rest of the day Ritsuka couldn't recall it his life depended on it. Once the final bell rang he was dashing through the halls, hoping with all his might that Soubi was waiting for him.

Sure enough, there he was, cigarette in his mouth, waiting patiently for his Sacrifice to appear.

Ritsuka ran into his arms, getting a surprised smile from Soubi. "What's wrong?" He asked, and Ritsuka only squeezed his waist tighter.

Someone cleared their throat, and both boys looked up to find Nezumi standing there, looking as ordinary as anyone in his hoodie and jeans, backpack hanging off of one shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but Ritsuka in _my _Sacrifice now, Soubi-san."

And right there on the sidewalk outside of Ritsuka's middle school, Nezumi took off his shirt and turned his back. There, in between his shoulder blades, in curvy cursive text that itself seemed to be crying, stood the single word, **LOVELESS.**

A/N: -Points- YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID YOU? HA!

Now review before I make Seimei kill a kitten. CUZ HE WILL DO IT!


	8. What Will Ritsuka Do Next?

Soubi and Ritsuka stood motionless on the street as Nezumi slipped his shirt and hoodie back on. People stopped to stare in confusion, but after a moment just let it go and went on their way.

Soubi's heart was pounding, and Ritsuka hardly dared to breathe. Then finally, Soubi muttered, "Ritsuka there's only one way to prove he's wrong." And Ritsuka knew it was true. He lowered his head and fought back tears, because he knew it to be true. He had felt a connection with Nezumi the second he had set eyes on him.

Scars from past wounds, including the jagged line on his left shoulder, seemed to stand out even clearer than Ritsuka remembered as he lifted up his shirt. Soubi's stomach clenched and he felt like his chest would burst.

It was the exact same text, in the exact same font, in the exact same place. **Loveless**. It was like a curse, now visible on Ritsuka's skin to anyone and everyone. Tears flowed down Ritsuka's face as he replaced his shirt. No one dared move for what seemed like the longest time.

Soubi was, again, the one to break the silence. He gathered up Ritsuka's backpack and murmured softly, "Let's go home, luv." Ritsuka, without a word, followed. Nezumi watched the go silently, sadness in his eyes. He didn't like to see Ritsuka, his Sacrifice, cry.

They were almost out of earshot, and Nezumi must have turned and gone by then, but as they turned the corner, Ritsuka could have sworn he heard, "I love you, Ritsuka." On the wind. It was Nezumi's voice.

The black-haired boy's heart gave a squeeze as he turned, but, indeed, the burnet was gone.

--Loveless--

Ritsuka and Soubi barely even glanced at each other for the next few days. Soubi would wait for the boy outside his school gate, and when Ritsuka and Nezumi parted, they went home and retreated to their separate rooms.

It had been three days since Nezumi had showed up when Ritsuka's phone rang as he sat at the desk Soubi had provided, and the black-haired boy jumped. He quickly glanced at the number but didn't recognize it. With a shrug, he flipped it open and asked, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ritsuka!" It was Nezumi. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang with me in the park. I'm really bored."

Again, Ritsuka's heart gave that painful yet longing squeeze, and he couldn't help but smile. What was wrong with him? "Sure." He answered finally. Nezumi's smile could be heard through the phone.

"Great! Be there in five minutes!" He said happily, and the line went dead.

Ritsuka stared at the phone in his hand for a moment, before shaking himself out of his stupor and getting ready. He put on a new shirt and slipped his phone into his pocket. Just in case Soubi called him.

At the thought of the blond, Ritsuka stopped. What was he doing, going to meet this new boy and leaving Soubi all alone? 'Nezumi is your Fighter!' Said one voice. 'Yeah, but what about Soubi. Are we just going to ditch him now that Nezumi's around? Yeah, thanks for all the suffering you went through for me, Soubi, but now I have Nezumi! Bye!' Said the other.

Ritsuka knew it was his responsibility to see Nezumi, but he couldn't leave Soubi with at least telling him where he was going. Reaching that conclusion, the black-haired boy walked to Soubi's room and knocked on the door.

"Come on in." Soubi said. Ritsuka opened the door to find the blond lying on his bed, setting aside a thick book he was reading for school. Soubi was surprised to see Ritsuka in his room, fully dressed, but kept his face clear. "What is it?" He asked.

Ritsuka didn't lift his head, opting instead to stare at his shoes. "I'm...gonna go see Nezumi. He invited me to the park, and I didn't want to be rude so..." He left the sentence hanging, and there was a long stretch of silence. Finally, Soubi spoke.

"Of course, Ritsuka." Said boy jerked his head up in surprise. Soubi was smiling softly at him. "Take your camera so you can make lots of memories to show me later, okay?"

Ritsuka felt so guilty, but he was backed into a corner. He knew that by doing his, he was officially replacing Soubi with Nezumi. With a heavy heart, he nodded and turned to leave.

Ritsuka slipped on his shoes and exited the house feeling like the worst person in the world.

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A/N:

Me: What are we gonna do to make them review, Seimei? The kitten ran away!

Seimei: Hm...what do we have that's cute, and like a kitten?

Me: You don't think...?

Seimei: -grabs Ritsuka-

Me: Seimei, no! We are NOT killing the main character!

Seimei: Aww! No fair!

Ritsuka: WTF?

Me: Please review? -puppy dog pout-


	9. There Will Be A Sequel See the Poll!

Ritsuka walked through the park silently, looking around for Nezumi. Finally, he found the brown-haired boy sitting on a bench, holding two ice cream cones. Ritsuka sat down next to Nezumi, and he smile.

Wordlessly, he handed once of the cones (vanilla, yum) to Ritsuka, and they ate in silence. Finally, the two were finished and Ritsuka asked, "How did you get my number?"

Nezumi laughed, a sound that made Ritsuka's heart skip a beat. "I got it from Yuiko. She talks about you all the time." He looked at Ritsuka and smiled. "It's kind of cute."

Ritsuka couldn't help but smile too, because he knew it was true. Yuiko did talk about him nonstop. He was just wondering when Yuiko would finally realize he wasn't interested and go out with Yayoi.

Suddenly, Nezumi jumped up and startled Ritsuka out of his musings. Ritsuka looked up at the brunet boy smiling down at him, holding out his hand. He took it, hesitantly, and Nezumi didn't let go when Ritsuka was up and they were walking down the brick path towards the swings.

They were about to sit down on the swings when suddenly Nezumi gasped and looked around wildly. "There's another Unit around. Ritsuka, can you fight?" He asked. Ritsuka nodded. Being Soubi's sacrifice had prepared him for these surprise attacks. 'Don't think about him!' Ritsuka scowled himself. Not when an enemy could be approaching!

Ritsuka breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was only Natsuo and Youji*. Nezumi didn't know who they were, and stepped up boldly. "What you do you want?" He asked testily.

Youji glared at him. "We're not here to fight, little mouse." At this, Nezumi blushed and stepped back. "We're here for Ritsuka."

Ritsuka stepped forward. "What's wrong? Is Soubi okay?" He asked, panicked.

The Zeros were silent. Then, Natsuo, "Ritsuka...Soubi ran away. He said..." He hesitated.

"What?" Ritsuka asked. "What did he say?"

Youji and Natsuo glanced at each other, looks of pity on their face. "That he's going to find Seimei." Youji finished in a whisper.

The world seemed to stop spinning. Ritsuka couldn't breath. "But...but Seimei's dead!" Ritsuka cried.

The two shrugged and looked at the ground. "Let's go, Ritsuka." Nezumi said. He grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the park.

"H-hey! Nezumi!" Ritsuka jerked him hand out of Nezumi's. "Where are we going?"

The brown-haired boy smiled, and instantly Ritsuka's heart started beating faster. "We're going to find Soubi. No matter what."

~Owari~

A/N: This story is DONE, no if's, and's or but's! Calm down, there will be a sequel.

A few notes:

*What gender are Youji and Natsuo? I never really knew...

lovelessRose12, thank you for finding the kitty. I will bury him and Seimei will be punished.

Kudos to NovoCained for figuring out that Nezumi means mouse or rat. In this context, mouse.

And MOST IMPORTANT THIS WILL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE SEQUEL! There is a poll on my page. It asks who you want Ritsuka to end up with - Soubi, or Nezumi. VOTE NOW!


	10. Sequel is OUT go READ IT

For some reason, despite the fact that I have seven chapters up in the Sequel to this story, Red, there are only 11 people on story alert for Red and only 11 reviews. For this story (on this day, April 20, 2010) there are 63 reviews and 44 people on story alert. This is one of my most popular stories, so why is no one reading the sequel?

Again, the sequel is OUT! It's called Red and there are already 7 chapters up. GO READ IT!


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